Visiting Chepo

After leaving San Blas, we headed to Chepo for a week which was to include the school graduation, excursions to waterfalls, and visiting families.  We were lucky enough to stay with Kelley and Dillon Robertson, who are the current Peace Corps Volunteers in Chepo.

It didn't take long to organize a trip to El Salto, the big waterfall almost a two hour walk from Chepo. The water was flowing strongly as it was the end of the wet season.  We were accompanied by Orme, who teaches English in the middle school and two siblings from the town, Zuli and Kevin.

Steve, Dillon, Kelley, Heather, Orme, Kevin, Zuli

Steve, Orme, and Dillon swam in the upper pool

We had hiked downhill almost the entire time to get to the waterfall, so the walk up was hot and tiring.

Back in town, it was time to visit families we hadn't seen in two years:

Our host parents Odilia and Aristides

Augusto and Livy had a new baby since we left!

Yeselin, Heber and Yenifer on their way to church

Carolina was in first grade when we left - now she rides a horse!

Steve shares photos from past years with a family

On Tuesday it was time for the ninth graders to graduate.  When we left in April of 2014, they were just starting eighth grade.  It was a great opportunity for us to see so many families in one place, and to see the students for one last time.

Soon to be graduates

Perfecto Pinto and his son Ovidio

Heather with former student José

The president of Panama had visited Chepo in the fall, and frankly he was concerned at the state of the dorms.  After his visit, he sent a team to make improvements.  As you can see from the before and after pictures below, there was quite a difference!  Notice that there are new ceilings and lighting as well as new beds and lockers.

Before

After

The day after graduation it was time for another excursion to another waterfall.  This one was also almost two hours walk downhill.  It was not so famous as the first.  In fact, of the twenty people who made the trip, only five had been there before.

The last part of the trail was overgrown, as the family who used to maintain it moved away.  Fortunately we had a volunteer (Isaac) to chop away the underbrush with a machete.

The waterfall is called El Pantalón, because it looks like a pair of pants.

It was an idyllic spot

Hector checks out the view from the top

You can see that there was a wide range of ages in our group!

Steve slides down the left leg!

The custom in Panama is to make muñecos to be lit on fire on New Year's Eve.  We saw several around town, but we weren't there for the burning!

Our visit was over far too soon, and we had to say goodbye to Chepo and our friends Dillon and Kelley.  They were wonderful hosts and we had such a good time sharing stories with them!

Dillon and Kelly and their home in Chepo